Lavenders (Lavandula)

The green-gray needle like leaves and spikes of fragrant purple-mauve flowers are known to almost everyone, but there are other varieties with green leaves and white, pink or dark purple flowers. Even if you don’t use it in cooking, it makes a nice addition to any herb garden.

Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb for cooking. In today’s upscale restaurants, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavor and appearance of food.

Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried. Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

English Lavender has the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. Lavender has a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying. In cooking, use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh. Because of the strong flavor of lavender, a little goes a long way.

Horseradish (Amoracia rusticana)

Other Names: Great Raifort, Mountain Radish, Horse Plant, Red cole

Medicinal Uses: Sinus and throat conditions, Expectorant, Diuretic, Counter-irritant, Source of Vitamin C

Originally native to Eastern Europe, this herb now grows abundantly in the US as well. Grated bottled and creamed horseradish is available, as well as a dried form, which must be reconstituted before using.

This ancient herb (one of the five bitter herbs of the Jewish Passover festival). It is grown mainly for its pungent spicy roots.

Fresh horseradish is in many supermarkets. Choose roots that are firm with no sign of blemishes or withering. The roots should be peeled and grated before using. Store in the refrigerator in plastic bags.

It’s most often grated and used in sauces or as a condiment with fish or meat. Mix with sour cream for a tasty sauce for brisket or roast beef or use as a sandwich spread.

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

Hops plants were mentioned by the Roman writer Pliny in the first century A.D. as a popular garden plant and vegetable whose young spring shoots were sold in markets and eaten like asparagus.

By the ninth century, the hops plant was used in brewing throughout most of Europe for its clearing, flavoring and preserving qualities.

Today most home garden hops growers are cultivating them because they make their own home brew. However like the early Romans, the stems can still be steamed and eaten like asparagus.

Hops are the flowers used to season beer. Bittering hops, meaning adding hops early on in the boil process, provide bitterness to the beer to balance the sweetness of the malt. Hops added at the end of the boil, referred to as finishing hops, add flavor and aroma to the beer. Adding hops directly to the fermenter, or dry hopping, lends additional hop aroma to the beer.

Hops also serve as a natural preservative, helping to prevent spoilage in beer. Hops comes as either whole flowers or compressed pellets (think rabbit food). There are many varieties of hops available to homebrewers, allowing for great diversity of flavors and aromas.

Different hops are used to brew different styles of beer. For example, cascade hops give American pale ales their distinct citrusy quality, fuggles have an earthiness common in English-style ales, and saaz lend the spicy/herbal character found in European Pilsners.

Hoja santa (Piper auritum)

Hoja santa is an aromatic herb with a heart-shaped, velvety leaf which grows in tropic Mesoamerica. The name hoja santa means “sacred leaf” in Spanish. It is also known as yerba santa, hierba santa, Mexican pepperleaf, root beer plant, and sacred pepper.

The leaves can reach up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) or more in size. The complex flavor of hoja santa is not so easily described; it has been compared to eucalyptus, licorice, sassafras, anise, nutmeg, mint, tarragon, and black pepper. The flavor is stronger in the young stems and veins.

 

It is often used in Mexican cuisine for tamales, the fish or meat wrapped in fragrant leaves for cooking, and as an essential ingredient in Mole Verde, the green sauce originated in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. It is also chopped to flavor soups and eggs. In Central Mexico, it is used to flavor chocolate drinks. In southeastern Mexico, a green liquor called Verdín is made from hoja santa. While typically used fresh, it is also used in dried form, although drying removes much of the flavor and makes the leaf too brittle to be used as a wrapper.

The essential oils in the leaf are rich in safrole, a substance also found in sassafras, which has been shown to be carcinogenic in animals. In 1960, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned sassafras bark along with sassafras oil and safrole as flavoring agents because of their carcinogenic properties and the Council of Europe imposed the same ban in 1974, so the safety of flavoring food with hoja santa remains questionable.

 

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Other Names: Jamaica Ginger, East Indian Pepper, Jamaica Pepper

Medicinal Uses: Digestive aid, Bowel colic, Carminative, Dyspepsia, Aphrodisiac

 

Ginger: (spice) Dried roots (rhizomes) of a member of the zingiber family. Root pieces are called “hands.” Smooth, straw-colored ones have been peeled, bleached.

 

Ginger is a spice which is used for cooking and is also consumed whole as a delicacy or medicine. It is the underground stem of the ginger plant, Zingiber officinale. The ginger plant has a long history of cultivation, having originated in Asiaand is grown in India, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Caribbean. Its actual name is Root Ginger. Young ginger rhizomes are juicy and fleshy with a very mild taste. They are often pickled in vinegar or sherry as a snack or just cooked as an ingredient in many dishes. 

They can also be stewed in boiling water to make ginger tea, to which honey is often added as a sweetener; sliced orange or lemon fruit may also be added. Mature ginger roots are fibrous and nearly dry. The juice from old ginger roots is extremely potent and is often used as a spice in Indian recipes and Chinese cuisine to flavor dishes such as seafood or mutton and vegetarian recipes. Powdered dry ginger root (ginger powder) is typically used to spice gingerbread and other recipes. Fresh ginger can be substituted for ground ginger at a ratio of 6 parts fresh for 1 part ground, although the flavors of fresh and dried ginger are not exactly interchangeable. 

Ginger is also made into candy, is used as a flavoring for cookies, crackers and cake, and is the main flavor in ginger ale—a sweet, carbonated, non-alcoholic beverage, as well as the similar, but spicier ginger beer which is popular in the Caribbean. Fresh ginger should be peeled before being eaten. For storage, the ginger should be wrapped tightly in a towel and placed in a plastic bag, and can be kept for about three weeks in a refrigerator and up to three months in a freezer.

 

Garlic (Allium sativum)

Other Names: Poor Man’s Treacle, Clown’s Treacle, Gousse d’ail

Medicinal Uses: Antioxidant, Cancer prevention, High blood pressure, Respiratory conditions, Lower cholesterol

 

Garlic: (dehydrated) Bulbs of a perennial plant, cousin to the onion and a member of the lily family. Dehydrated garlic is milled to particle sizes ranging from powdered, granulated and ground to minced, chopped and sliced.

 

Fresh, dried and powdered garlic are available in markets throughout the year, however, fresh varieties from Californiaare in season from June through December. Garlic is arranged in a head, called the “bulb,” averaging about 2 inches in height and diameter consisting of numerous small separate cloves. Both the cloves and the entire bulb are encased in paper-like sheathes that can be white, off-white or pinkish. Although garlic cloves have a firm texture, they can be easily cut or crushed. The taste of garlic is like no other-it hits the palate with a hot pungency that is shadowed by a very subtle background sweetness. While elephant garlic has larger cloves, it is more closely related to the leek and therefore does not offer the full health benefits of regular garlic. Mild and aromatic, the first of the new season’s garlic can be eaten raw in dips or marinades, or blanched and roasted for a creamy accompaniment to roast chicken. 

Garden Cress (Salad Herb)

Garden cress is a fast-growing, edible plant which is related to watercress and mustard and sharing their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma. In some regions garden cress is known as garden pepper cress, pepper grass or pepperwort.

 

Garden cress is a perennial plant, and most typically used as a salad herb or as a leaf vegetable. Its leaves develop a hotter flavor as the plant matures.

Cress is commonly used in English sandwiches such as egg and cress sandwiches (made with shelled and crushed boiled eggs, mayonnaise, salt and some cress cuttings. Cress can be purchased live in most UK supermarkets.

 

Cress is best added fresh to recipes and works well with egg dishes, salads and sandwiches. Try roast beef, some sour cream, creamy horseradish sauce and cress on good bread for a wonderful treat. 

Galangal (Languas galangal or Alpinia galangal)

Other Names: Siamese ginger, galangale, greater galangal, galang, Laos

Medicinal Uses: Bowel spasms, Dyspepsia, Angina, Nausea, Anti-oxidant

 

Alpinia galanga, (also Languas galanga) a plant in the ginger family, is an herb used in cooking, especially in Indonesian cuisine and Thai cuisine. It is one of four plants known as galangal, and is differentiated from the others with the common name greater galangal (or simply Thai galangal). The galangals are also called blue ginger or Thai ginger.

 

A. galanga is called Laos in Indonesian and is the most common form of galangal used in cooking. It is also known as Langkwas and galanga root.

 

The plant grows from rhizomes in clumps of stiff stalks up to two meters in height with abundant long leaves which bears red fruit. It is native to South Asia and Indonesia. It is cultivated in Malaysia, Laos, and Thailand. A. galanga is the galangal used most often in cookery. The robust rhizome has a sharp, sweet taste and smells like a blend of black pepper and pine needles. The red fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine and has a flavor similar to cardamom.

 

Known as Chittarattai in Tamil, this form of ginger is used with another root called Athi-Mathuram (Glycyrrhiza Glabra) as folk cure to cold and sore throat.

The rhizome is a common ingredient in Thai soups and curries, where is used fresh in chunks or thin slices, mashed and mixed into curry paste, or dried and powdered Indonesian rendang is usually spiced with galangal

Frankincense (Boswellia thurifera)

Other Names: Luban

Medicinal Uses: Acne, Wounds and scars, Bacterial and fungal infections, Arthritis, Natural insecticide

Frankincense, also called olibanum. It is used in incense and perfumes.

There are four main species of Boswellia which produce true frankincense and each type of resin is available in various grades. The grades depend on the time of harvesting, and the resin is hand-sorted for quality.

 

Frankincense is tapped from the very scraggly but hardy Boswellia tree by slashing the bark and allowing the exuded resins to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called tears. There are numerous species and varieties of frankincense trees, each producing a slightly different type of resin. Differences in soil and climate create even more diversity of the resin, even within the same species.

 

Frankincense trees are also considered unusual for their ability to grow in environments so unforgiving that they sometimes grow directly out of solid rock. The means of initial attachment to the stone is not known but is accomplished by a bulbous disklike swelling of the trunk. This disklike growth at the base of the tree prevents it from being torn away from the rock during the violent storms that frequent the region they grow in. This feature is slight or absent in trees grown in rocky soil or gravel. The tears from these hardy survivors are considered superior for their more fragrant aroma.

 

The trees start producing resin when they are about 8 to 10 years old. Tapping is done 2 to 3 times a year with the final taps producing the best tears due to their higher aromatic terpene, sesquiterpene and diterpene content. Generally speaking, the more opaque resins are the best quality. Dhofari frankincense (from Boswellia sacra) is said to be the best in the world, although fine resin is also produced more extensively in Yemen and along the northern coast of Somalia, from which the Roman Catholic Church draws its supplies.

 

Recent studies have indicated that frankincense tree populations are declining due to over-exploitation. Heavily tapped trees have been found to produce seeds that germinate at only 16% while seeds of trees that had not been tapped germinate at more than 80%.

 

Frankincense is used in perfumery and aromatherapy. Frankincense essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dry resin. Some of the smell of the frankincense smoke is due to the products of pyrolysis.

Frankincense was lavishly used in religious rites.

 

The Egyptians ground the charred resin into a powder called kohl. Kohl was used to make the distinctive black eyeliner seen on so many figures in Egyptian art. The aroma of frankincense is said to represent life and the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic faiths have often used frankincense mixed with oils to anoint newborn infants and individuals considered to be moving into a new phase in their spiritual lives.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Other Names: Foenugreek, Goat’s Horn, Bird’s Foot

Medicinal Uses: Appetizer, Diabetes, Aphrodisiac, Fever, Tuberculosis, Dyspepsia

 

Fenugreek:  (herb seed)  Very small, reddish-brown seeds of a member of the pea family. Pleasantly bitter flavor with curry-like aroma. Essential in curry powder; basis of imitation maple.

Fenugreek has three culinary uses: as a herb (dried or fresh leaves), as a spice (seeds), and as a vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens). Sotolon is the chemical responsible for fenugreek’s distinctive sweet smell.

The distinctive cuboid-shaped, yellow-to-amber colored fenugreek seeds are frequently encountered in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. The seeds are used in the preparation of pickles, vegetable dishes, daals, and spice mixes, such as panch phoron and sambar powder. Fenugreek seeds are used both whole and in powdered form and are often roasted to reduce their bitterness and enhance their flavor.

Fenugreek is also used as a vegetable. Fresh fenugreek leaves are an ingredient in some Indian curries. The sprouted seeds and microgreens are used in salads. When harvested as microgreens, fenugreek is known as Samudra Methi in Maharashtra, especially in and around Mumbai, where it is often grown near the sea in the sandy tracts, hence the name (Samudra, which means “ocean” in Sanskrit). Samudra Methi is also grown in dry river beds in the Gangetic plains. When sold as a vegetable in India, the young plants are harvested with their roots still attached. Any remaining soil is washed off and they are then sold in small bundles in the markets and bazaars to extend their shelf life.

In Persian cuisine, fenugreek leaves are used and called (shanbalile). It is the key ingredient and one of several greens incorporated into ghormeh sabzi and Eshkeneh, often said to be the Iranian national dishes.

Fenugreek is used in Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine.[8] The word for fenugreek in Amharic is abesh (or abish), and the seed is used in Ethiopia as a natural herbal medicine in the treatment of diabetes.

Fenugreek seeds are thought to be a galactagogue that is often used to increase milk supply in lactating women.

Fenugreek seed is widely used as a galactagogue (milk producing agent) by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply. Studies have shown that fenugreek is a potent stimulator of breast milk production and its use was associated with increases in milk production. It can be found in capsule form in many health food stores.

Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the anti-diabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models by reducing serum glucose and improving glucose tolerance.